This is designed not only to introduce you to the history and function of U.S. political institutions, but also to orient you with respect to current events in American politics. Toward this end, you are expected to subscribe to a U.S. based international newspaper and keep up with current events. You will write a report toward the end of the semester on a specific current event in American Politics and how this event relates to ideas we encounter in the course. The report should be at least 1000 words in length. The report should not be just a summary of one or more news articles. Rather, it should explain the issue, and explain how the histories, concepts, and debates we are studying in the course may apply to your event, what they may teach us about this event, or how this event may exemplify or highlight specific concepts we have studied. Your grade on this assignment will in part reflect how well you have related the course material to the news event. Essays are graded on the following criteria:
- Is your essay long enough (1000+ words)?
- Does your essay show competent writing — grammar, sentence structure, spelling, word usage, etc.?
- Is your essay/argument well organized with appropriate paragraph breaks?
- Is your essay easy for an educated reader to read and understand?
- Does your essay link your current event to course themes or concepts?
- Does your essay demonstrate some critical thinking about your current event?
